Weekly Thoughts and Tips

July 2013

Friend Podcast

By Marissa WiddisonJuly 26, 2013

Did you know that an audio version of the Friend can be delivered to you digitally every month? It's true! Click here to subscribe to the Friend podcast or sign up to have the audio version of the magazine emailed to you. You can also find audio files by clicking the "Download" button on the right side of pages on LDS.org.

Stories of Jesus

By Jessica LarsenJuly 19, 2013

For the past four years, the Friend has run a series called “Stories of Jesus” that talks about the Savior in the scriptures. This year the series focuses on Christ in the Doctrine and Covenants. The Friend has paired beautiful, full-page illustrations with short paragraphs about key doctrines and events, like the First Vision and the restoration of the priesthood. This month's page teaches children about the relationship between Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, and Zion.

I like this series because it works for teaching a variety of age groups. If your children are young, you can focus on the picture and explain the story in your own words. If your children are older, you could read the captions together and look up the scriptures mentioned. No matter how you use this series, share your testimony! Sharing your testimony shows children why these things are important and teaches them to live the gospel.

To see other “Stories of Jesus” articles, go to “Resources by Category” and click on “Scripture Retellings.”

Car Talk

By Tiffany LewisJuly 12, 2013

Summer is the time for travel and road trips. While it may be tempting to stick a movie in the DVD player, road trips are great times to bond as a family through discussion and audio books.

We also check out audio books from the library, and have made our way through several classics that my children might otherwise not have read. Listening to the scriptures is also great on car trips, especially if your family has a goal to finish a book of scripture. We appreciate this chance to get to know each other better!

Helping Those Who Become Disruptive

By Mary Durham, Primary general boardJuly 5, 2013

While visiting a Primary recently, I noticed a few children who were continually raising their hands, which proved to be a bit disruptive. I was amazed at how well their leader handled the situation. In her kind way, she was able to give the children positive attention and help them feel her love.